County Council
Gives Budget
Second
Reading,
Honors Locals
web posted May
7, 2014EDGEFIELD
– The Edgefield
County Council
held their May
meeting Tuesday
evening with a
five page
agenda, but
finished the
meeting in less
than 39 minutes.
In addition to a
second reading
on the budget,
council heard a
presentation by
Allen Easler of
Cornerstone,
passed
resolutions
honoring Ms.
Tori Whatley of
Merriwether and
the Sullivan
Family, whose
roots date back
to 1790 in
Edgefield,
before their
Family reunion,
and made
appointments to
boards.

Before getting
into business
matters, Allen
Easley of
Cornerstone
addressed the
council on the
Target Zero
program that was
started to help
law enforcement
agencies as well
as distributing
information and
ads and
billboards to
bring public
awareness to the
problems of
drunk drivers.
In 2013, with
the help
Cornerstone was
able to provide
for equipment,
and the increase
in safety
checkpoints,
there were no
fatalities for
the year. The
only other
county to
achieve that
goal was
Barnwell County
in 1993, Easler
said. The county
owns the longest
run without a
fatality in the
state, 445
consecutive
days.

He also gave the
county council
credit for
passing a
$750,000 bond to
provide the
Sheriff's Office
with over 20
patrol cars
equipped with
in-car video
cameras, to aid
in the
prosecutions of
drunk drivers.

There were no
speakers for the
public hearings
held on the
budget or an
ordinance on
leasing land to
be harvested for
hay. Following
were votes for
second reading
on both.

There was no
discussion on
the budget prior
to, or after
motions, and it
passed on a 5-0
vote. The
$8,941,387
budget has an
increase of
$130,946 over
last year's. In
order to balance
the budget,
$337,734 will
have to be taken
from reserves,
leaving just 3.4
months of
operating funds
in the reserves.
It also includes
an across the
board raise for
all county
employees

Councilman
Norman Dorn
raised an issue
on the lease of
the land for hay
harvesting
asking if anyone
could apply to
lease the
property. After
addressing
County Attorney
Michael Medlock
on the question,
he said anyone
can put in to
lease any county
property that is
available for
lease. The
second reading
passed 4-1 with
Dorn voting no.

Council then
made
reappointments
of board members
including John
Timmerman and
Carroll Clark to
the Edgefield
County Sewer and
Water Authority
Board, and Doug
Baker to the
Building Code
Board of
Adjustments and
Appeals.

Moving on to
resolutions, the
first was to
honor local
chess star Tori
Whately of
Merriwether for
her outstanding
achievements in
the chess world,
representing not
just Edgefield
County, but the
state as well in
many national
tournaments. Ms.
Whatley had been
tricked into
attending the
meeting by her
parents and knew
nothing about
the honor. She
was asked to
stand as the
lengthy list of
her titles and
achievements
were read. The
vote to approve
was met with a
round of
applause from
the audience.

The second
resolution was
to honor the
Sullivan family,
who will be
holding their
family reunion
in July, and
their
contributions to
the county over
their more that
200 year history
in Edgefield
County, dating
back to the
1790's. It also
passed on a
unanimous vote
and received an
applause.

The council also
voted to approve
a resolution
that will be
presented to the
General Assembly
over the state
budget not
fulfilling state
law to fully
fund the Local
Government Fund
(LGF). By state
law, the State
should fund
Edgefield County
$1.3 million,
rather than the
proposed $1
million. The
difference in
funding,
Chairman Dean
Campbell stated,
would nearly
wipe out the
need for the
county to dip
into the reserve
for just over
$300,000 to
balance the
budget. It also
passed
unanimously.

Approval of
putting new
roofing on two
county building,
the Neighborhood
Center and the
hanger at the
Trenton Airport
were both
approved to be
placed out for
bid. The
county's
insurance
company will pay
half of the
cost, less
$1,000
deductible, for
the Neighborhood
Center due to
damage of the
roof caused by
storms.

Next on the
agenda was yet
another
ordinance on the
lease of the
county hangers
at the Trenton
Airport. The
previous
ordinance set
the rental at
$180 each, but
gave the County
Administrator
the ability to
negotiate the
rate if there
were lesser
offers. One such
offer was $145
and created the
need for the new
ordinance in
order to accept
the bid.

Councilman
Rodney Ashcraft
said that the
comparable rate
to other hangers
available was
the $180 figure,
but he felt that
$160 would be
acceptable and
not undercutting
Plane Fun, who
runs the airport
and also rents
hangers. He made
a motion to that
affect.
Vice-chair Genia
Blackwell, said
she was tired of
having to deal
with the issue
repeatedly and
agreed with the
$160 rate.
However, she
went further to
make an
amendment that
the rate was
non-negotiable.
"I don't think
we need to be in
the realtor
business, unless
(County
Administrator)
Mrs. Strom wants
to be a
realtor," she
said and Mrs.
Strom shook her
head no.

The motion and
amendment passed
and the new
wording will be
placed in the
ordinance for
the second
reading in
June.

With a short
report by Mrs.
Strom and
comments by
Chairman
Campbell, the
meeting was then
adjourned.